1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of prosthetic-like devices to aid persons with temporary or permanent difficulty operating their hand to grasp and use implements or toys.
2. Description of Prior Art
To applicants knowledge there exists no similar device. In hospitals often a patient is unable to grasp or unable to long retain a grasp on silverware, hair or tooth brushes, or toys because of weakness or poor control of his finger muscles. The prior art is to secure an object to the hand with a bandage or with adhesive tape. The use of bandage, though obvious, is not very efficient of the nurses time, nor does it hold the object very well unless the bandage is elaborately fastened. The use of adhesive tape has the drawback that patients of this sort usually have very tender, soft, and somewhat sensitive hands. In both expedients the nurse or other attendant must apply and remove the fastening.
As to the novelty of the structure relative to the prior art, the use of hook-and-loop pile to attach specific sporting equipment to a healthy hand is mentioned in Borden, U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,319 and Osborn, U.S. Pat. No. 3,508,280. The present invention distinguishes from these in that no cooperation of the fingers is required, and in that a separate strap not present in Borden or Osborn supplies the function of the inactive fingers. Moreover, the pesent invention represents an improvement in that finger stalls are eliminated, an advantage during application and removal.
Another advantage deriving from the absence of finger stalls is that the invention is free of restriction as to size of the hand, i.e. size of fingers and distance between the fingers. The wraparound method of attachment makes a single size capable of attachment to a wide variety of hands, unlike a full glove which must be at least roughly sized to the hand. This is a particular advantage in two respects: the attendants time is saved and the feasibility of a patient using the device can be learned using a standard size.